Hyacinth is a forty-six year old Dual heritage Mother of two sons and a BSc Honours Graduate in Social Policy with Criminal Justice. A self defining Creative Entrepreneur, was recognised by Divas of Colour with the – Women of Honour Award for her over 2 decades of selfless voluntary works to the community.
Hyacinth is a multiple business owner and MD of Soul Conscious Creations Ltd a Start Up Company delivering her Signature Women’s Development Programme EMPOWER 7 (C) and she is also an intuitive Coach/ Mentor and Supportive Facilitator as she knows the work involved in personal transformation.
She is qualified in Holistic Therapies, Nutrition, Fine Art as well as a Jewellery maker, Photographer and Published Writer for twenty two years.
Tell us about your volunteering work – how long has it been and what exactly do you do?
I am a compassionate Spiritual soul who has been in service to others since the age of 15. I grew up in a house where Domestic Violence occurred and as we were able to go to the local Adventure playground as I got older it felt like a safe place an helped me to develop awareness of Community and the World at large. She grew up on an Estate now demolished in Hackney and was often told she could not achieve her goals and dreams. Now in her 29th official year of Volunteering she has been devoted to Community Work and Community Engagement in a number of fields including Prison Visitor for those whose families had disowned them due to their crimes, Youth Organisations and Local Council at Adventure Playgrounds, Community centres etc in many of the poorest estates in Hackney for 13 years, Arts Ambassador helping local community access the Arts and things such as the Theatre, Art exhibitions etc for the first time, Sexual Health Promotion Team Leader raising awareness of HIV/AIDS when many didn’t want to do that work in the early 1990’s, and Management Committee Member for Charities, Campaigner,Case Study and Magazine Panel member for BLISS The Premature baby Charity and more recently Parent Carer on the local Parent/ Carers forum for Parents of Children with Special Educational needs and Disabilities.
What has been the most challenging for you doing your work?
The most challenging thing for me doing my work has been me. By that I mean I was not very confident at all and lacked Self esteem for years. I often doubted my own capabilities even when no one else did. It took time to overcome that but also going through serious Adversity while doing my various roles at times I had 2-3 Voluntary roles in different organisations was at times overwhelming. Though I preferred to think I’m helping others worse off than myself at times I was pouring from a near empty cup. It has been since reaching my 40s I have changed that. I am a very caring person and would at the detriment to myself and my family make sacrifices others wouldn’t at all.
Do you think you receive enough recognition and or support for the work you do?
I personally don’t think I do but it is the same with people I know who have dedicated decades to the community and unpaid work. It did upset me a lot seeing newbies 1 or 2 years in getting celebrated by the Local Council and special Tea Parties etc because although I never set out doing this work to be recognised it would have been great to be told Thank you by people more senior. Workplaces really treated me well and most of them I stayed with for 2-4 years each but as a creative I also like to learn something, set up projects and then leave it to others to grow as an Innovator does so I am told by astute Business people top of their game.
Why did you choose to volunteer your time, skill and resources for the community?
As a young girl I was quite withdrawn. Writing and Art was my sanctuary. I felt at peace with that but often it would take place in the family home which I always felt unsafe in due to the Domestic Violence. As soon as we were allowed to go to the local Adventure playground I loved the freedom and the more I spoke to others the more I saw trauma and worse going on with them. We were all quite poor families defined as Inner city disadvantaged children. I realised early on I could calm people, comfort them and be a listening ear. It was then at 15 I started helping out at my local Adventure Playground and officially began volunteering when I was 16 and became employed by Hackney when I was 17. From there I became intrigued as to how these Voluntary and Charitable organisations ran and was approached non stop to come and work at many of them. I loved it and still do although I don’t do nearly as much.
What is your mantra?
“We don’t have to be Victims of our Circumstances, we can be Soul Conscious Creators of our Future”, (c)
How can your work be improved?
My work can be improved by Sharing my knowledge more widely. I am slowing down in the field now but realise my years of experience can be shared. I have people approach me for advice and almost picking my brain they say but actually is Consultancy about specific issues. I feel that sharing what has worked, What hasn’t and some of the mistakes I have made have been useful for them and myself as I reflect a lot.
You were honoured at Divas of Colour International Women’s Awards recently. What does that mean to you?
Being honoured as a Woman of Honour for my Services to Community by an Organisation I personally don’t know well but has researched me and my work meant the world. It sounds quite corny but I am truly humbled and was genuinely shocked to receive that alongside MP Dawn Butler who I admire and the lovely woman Jenny. It means I am seen and to continue with my work because you are always seen especially when you think no one is watching. I still don’t know who nominated me or what they said but I am grateful that my service to others was and is still being celebrated.
Any other thing you would like our audience to know about you?
As I said I am slowing down with the Volunteering as it nears three decades but it’s not in vain. The EMPOWER 7 Women’s Personal Development Programme I created and am facilitating was born out of these years of experience. As I did work for others I was going through my own serious challenges such as becoming a lone parent when my first child was 6 months old, Sharing my childhood story, Losing a child to neonatal death at 23 days old whilst being a lone parent this time during pregnancy with twins. I realised all of this I hid from other like a broken woman but in fact these times and my resilience were in fact my greatest assets. I now teach women the tools and tips I learnt but more importantly Support Women to be their best Self taking them on a journey of self discovery so they can create their life by design. I now know why I had these experiences and work in preparation for this blissful time working in my genius zone.